COMPOSITE NUCLEAR FUEL PELLET (VERSIONS) Russian patent published in 2012 - IPC G21C3/00 

FIELD: physics, nuclear.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to nuclear power and specifically to pelleted composite nuclear fuel, and can be used in fuel rods of nuclear reactors, preferably in fast neutron reactors. The composite nuclear fuel pellet contains pressed and sintered powder of a mixture of particles of the compound (U, Pu) which are uniform on effective size and carbon frame structures. Another version is a zoned pellet, wherein the central cylindrical zone and the outer annular zone of the pellet have a lower and higher volume content of carbon frame structures, respectively. In special cases, content of carbon frame structures in form of fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibres in the powder of the mixture is equal to 1.8-15.6 vol. % for the mixture with (U,Pu)O₂ and 1.5-13.0 vol. % for the mixture (U,Pu)N. The pellet can have an axial hole and facets.

EFFECT: high strength and heat resistance of the pellet, slower process of crack initiation and propagation in said pellet, lower probability of disintegration of said pellet.

21 cl